A few months ago, I was blessed (I know, cliche, but it's how I feel) to go to a networking event: "Dinner with a Principal."
The evening was glorious. When we talked about business meals in class, I was concerned to hear that you need to make sure the food isn't a priority, but the people you're with need to have your focus and attention. I love food. I love eating it and I love taking it home in "doggie bags." Needless to say, I was concerned that this dinner would be difficult because I'd be worried about eating, but not eating too much, but not leaving completely starved and food-deprived.
Glory of all glories! It wasn't even an issue! I went to this dinner straight from work and was able to be seated right next to a truly wonderful Principal. I aspire to teach Middle School math, so I wanted to talk to a principal with experience in Middle School or High School so I could be better prepared for teaching. Rosanna had been a Middle School principal and was currently a High School principal. Best of both worlds! She was so nice and seemed interested in our future careers, but also willing to give us insights into how to prepare. I had tons of questions I wanted to ask her and suddenly, the food was on the back-burner. Not literally, we all did eat food and dessert. However, I found myself so enthralled in conversation that I actually found it a burden to break my attention from her to eat a few bites of food.
I learned many things to help prepare me for teaching. I learned that experience is good (no duh), but that principals look for more than just qualification in your subject. The first thing they look for is how well you did in student teaching (if you're a new teacher). The second thing is your interests and if you are willing to share your interests to contribute to the school. I've always been so concerned about work experience and education, I didn't even think about highlighting my interests and skills regarding sports, clubs and coaching. I'm SO glad I talked to her and learned so many things!
Also, I have even learned from this class and sent her a thank-you email. I hope to continue to have contact with her in the future as I continue to learn and move into my career.
*Note: even though this isn't a typical networking event, I talked to Professor Middleton and she said it could count because it was applicable to my major and about as network-y as it gets.
**Extra note: I met a lady this past weekend while with my cousins who is a principal in Davis county. After talking to her a bit, we talked about schools, jobs, charter schools, etc. and she gave me a business card. This networking thing sure comes in handy and makes me feel hopeful about my future. I'd say my favorite things I've taken from this class are resumes, interviewing skills and networking.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Remote Meeting
As very important people in OBG Consulting with very busy schedules, it "helped" to have a remote meeting. Sometimes it is easier to find a time when everyone is available, but not necessarily in the same place than a time that everyone can meet AND a place for everyone to meet.
Introducing....REMOTE MEETINGS!
The beauty is, you can talk to people, coordinate projects and plans, but be in the comfort of your own home, on campus, at Starbucks, or any other convenient (but distraction-free) area.
For our remote meeting, we used conference calling. At our appointed time, we all called in. Unfortunately, Jordan dialed a wrong number and listened to some lovely classical music for 10 minutes before we got him connected to our call. Overall, the remote meeting went smoothly. The line wasn't too fuzzy, we were able to focus and make some decisions regarding our project and pound out the plans for future meetings.
One thing that was a little difficult for me in the conference call is that I am a very visual person. I'd much rather read something than hear something (though a combination of the two is definitely the optimal combination). Because of this, it made it harder to focus on the call, so I had to remove myself from distraction. Additionally, it was hard because I could not see body language. At times, I felt like I was not contributing enough to the group because I was primarily a listener. I always felt like I'd be interrupting another person if I jumped in and started talking, which can seem a lot more rude on the phone than in-person. Also, it is easier to read when people are going to start talking or have something to say based on body language than when people are simply voices on a phone.
Another thing that could be difficult with conference calls could be knowing who is speaking, especially if their voices are similar to each other or if you are less-familiar with the individuals. By this time in the semester, we were all buds, so it was easy to tell who was speaking in the conversation.
It is important to know that remote meetings can be useful, even if I prefer in-person meetings. It creates a new way to meet as a group, especially when trying to accommodate difficult schedules. However, it is also good to know the things that are difficult for me, such as distraction, so that I can be prepared for remote meetings and plan to be in a location with limited or no distractions. While remote meetings definitely have a time and place, they also have some inherent weaknesses, which are good to keep in mind so that they can be remedied as much as possible and I can prepare for the meetings as much as possible.
Introducing....REMOTE MEETINGS!
The beauty is, you can talk to people, coordinate projects and plans, but be in the comfort of your own home, on campus, at Starbucks, or any other convenient (but distraction-free) area.
For our remote meeting, we used conference calling. At our appointed time, we all called in. Unfortunately, Jordan dialed a wrong number and listened to some lovely classical music for 10 minutes before we got him connected to our call. Overall, the remote meeting went smoothly. The line wasn't too fuzzy, we were able to focus and make some decisions regarding our project and pound out the plans for future meetings.
One thing that was a little difficult for me in the conference call is that I am a very visual person. I'd much rather read something than hear something (though a combination of the two is definitely the optimal combination). Because of this, it made it harder to focus on the call, so I had to remove myself from distraction. Additionally, it was hard because I could not see body language. At times, I felt like I was not contributing enough to the group because I was primarily a listener. I always felt like I'd be interrupting another person if I jumped in and started talking, which can seem a lot more rude on the phone than in-person. Also, it is easier to read when people are going to start talking or have something to say based on body language than when people are simply voices on a phone.
Another thing that could be difficult with conference calls could be knowing who is speaking, especially if their voices are similar to each other or if you are less-familiar with the individuals. By this time in the semester, we were all buds, so it was easy to tell who was speaking in the conversation.
It is important to know that remote meetings can be useful, even if I prefer in-person meetings. It creates a new way to meet as a group, especially when trying to accommodate difficult schedules. However, it is also good to know the things that are difficult for me, such as distraction, so that I can be prepared for remote meetings and plan to be in a location with limited or no distractions. While remote meetings definitely have a time and place, they also have some inherent weaknesses, which are good to keep in mind so that they can be remedied as much as possible and I can prepare for the meetings as much as possible.
Chapter Presentation
Alrighty, so I know I'm really late on this, and I know that's not really an excuse, but I'm a little technologically impaired and the couple of times I remembered and tried to watch the video for our group, the internet usually stopped functioning. (Maybe someday we'll get Google Fiber.)
Anyway, the group presentation (minus the sound) was definitely a learning experience. As much as I hate watching myself and feeling my discomfort of presenting magnified as I relive it, I know it is useful for my improvement.
Two things I did well:
1) I smiled. Personally, I can never tell if my smile is genuine or a smile from nerves/discomfort. If the audience can't tell, then I guess it can't be a bad thing. So there you have it: smile even if you don't feel like it. Even if you feel weird, it usually makes the audience feel less-weird and they don't even notice you having a brain-fart and forgetting everything you planned to say. Unless you point it out. Moral of the story: act confident by smiling and going with the flow without drawing attention to flaws.
2) I managed to gesture to the screen with an open hand. I was able to draw attention to the screen when necessary and even did it fairly professionally by not pointing. Sometimes I feel like pointing helps me focus on specifics as I'm speaking, but the open-handed gesture is more professional and less-demanding. So I need to remember to keep it Vanna White style: open hand, big smile, and meaningful gestures.
One thing I can improve upon:
TALK LOUDER. Someday I'll learn how to use my loud voice in front of people. Hopefully sooner rather than later because 9th graders are not going to respect and listen to a mouse in front of the room. Change in volume and speed in speaking can help emphasize and draw attention to specific points, but it's obviously important for people to be able to hear you. It all goes back to the confidence issue: speak like you mean it and mean what you say. Also, I've always struggled speaking loud enough in front of people, so I need to try speaking about 2-3 times louder than I think is necessary. Maybe even 10x louder.
One thing the group did well:
Our slides were well-organized and the agenda was very useful. We had the presentation organized and most of the slides had a good format and were very readable. Because we knew the agenda, it was easy to plan and stay focused and anticipate our next moves.
One thing the group can work on:
First off, we THOUGHT the clicker worked, but it actually wasn't working, so practice is important for using technology in presentations. But on to the real thing we can work on: transitions. We could definitely be more fluid and practiced at passing off the presentation floor to the next person and introducing ourselves. Rather than trying to ignore the elephant in the room during transitions, it can sometimes be better to just acknowledge the transition and let it be part of the presentation instead of letting it distract from the presentation.
So there ya have it, folks. Practice presentations. Learn good presenting skills and keep the good, start more good and stop the bad. We all have things we can work on individually as well as when we're with a group in order to really reach group synergy.
Anyway, the group presentation (minus the sound) was definitely a learning experience. As much as I hate watching myself and feeling my discomfort of presenting magnified as I relive it, I know it is useful for my improvement.
Two things I did well:
1) I smiled. Personally, I can never tell if my smile is genuine or a smile from nerves/discomfort. If the audience can't tell, then I guess it can't be a bad thing. So there you have it: smile even if you don't feel like it. Even if you feel weird, it usually makes the audience feel less-weird and they don't even notice you having a brain-fart and forgetting everything you planned to say. Unless you point it out. Moral of the story: act confident by smiling and going with the flow without drawing attention to flaws.
2) I managed to gesture to the screen with an open hand. I was able to draw attention to the screen when necessary and even did it fairly professionally by not pointing. Sometimes I feel like pointing helps me focus on specifics as I'm speaking, but the open-handed gesture is more professional and less-demanding. So I need to remember to keep it Vanna White style: open hand, big smile, and meaningful gestures.
One thing I can improve upon:
TALK LOUDER. Someday I'll learn how to use my loud voice in front of people. Hopefully sooner rather than later because 9th graders are not going to respect and listen to a mouse in front of the room. Change in volume and speed in speaking can help emphasize and draw attention to specific points, but it's obviously important for people to be able to hear you. It all goes back to the confidence issue: speak like you mean it and mean what you say. Also, I've always struggled speaking loud enough in front of people, so I need to try speaking about 2-3 times louder than I think is necessary. Maybe even 10x louder.
One thing the group did well:
Our slides were well-organized and the agenda was very useful. We had the presentation organized and most of the slides had a good format and were very readable. Because we knew the agenda, it was easy to plan and stay focused and anticipate our next moves.
One thing the group can work on:
First off, we THOUGHT the clicker worked, but it actually wasn't working, so practice is important for using technology in presentations. But on to the real thing we can work on: transitions. We could definitely be more fluid and practiced at passing off the presentation floor to the next person and introducing ourselves. Rather than trying to ignore the elephant in the room during transitions, it can sometimes be better to just acknowledge the transition and let it be part of the presentation instead of letting it distract from the presentation.
So there ya have it, folks. Practice presentations. Learn good presenting skills and keep the good, start more good and stop the bad. We all have things we can work on individually as well as when we're with a group in order to really reach group synergy.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Online Interview
I have learned that my online interview skills are less-refined than my in-person interview skills. Granted, both could use some improvements, but I'd rather interview in "real life" than online.
Some things that are nice about online interviews is that you don't have to do the awkward "do we shake hands?" or worry about if your outfit looks ok when you stand up and sit down.
Overall, I think my biggest strength is expressing my passion for teaching and helping students. I feel as though that was evident in the interview, which is great because it is the most important aspect of the job.
As we were starting the online interview, both of us had technical difficulties. In order to troubleshoot this ahead of time, it is important to make sure all equipment is functioning properly and it would be a good idea to do a "practice" interview with a friend to work out technological difficulties and to be more prepared and relaxed in an interview.
Another struggle I have in an online interview is looking at the camera. It is so much easier to look at the eyes of a person than at a little black lens on a computer, but it is important to remember that by looking at their eyes on a screen, it appears as though you are looking away from them. This is one of my biggest weaknesses in online interviews because it is so much less comfortable.
One thing I struggle with in all interview situations is staying concise. I feel as though I'm slightly improving, but I need to make sure I know the purpose behind my responses and make sure they are focused on answering the question rather than giving background.
In the interview, VoNique was very professional and friendly. She is able to seem comfortable and make the interviewee feel comfortable while remaining extremely professional and poised. I give her a 5/5!
Some things that are nice about online interviews is that you don't have to do the awkward "do we shake hands?" or worry about if your outfit looks ok when you stand up and sit down.
Overall, I think my biggest strength is expressing my passion for teaching and helping students. I feel as though that was evident in the interview, which is great because it is the most important aspect of the job.
As we were starting the online interview, both of us had technical difficulties. In order to troubleshoot this ahead of time, it is important to make sure all equipment is functioning properly and it would be a good idea to do a "practice" interview with a friend to work out technological difficulties and to be more prepared and relaxed in an interview.
Another struggle I have in an online interview is looking at the camera. It is so much easier to look at the eyes of a person than at a little black lens on a computer, but it is important to remember that by looking at their eyes on a screen, it appears as though you are looking away from them. This is one of my biggest weaknesses in online interviews because it is so much less comfortable.
One thing I struggle with in all interview situations is staying concise. I feel as though I'm slightly improving, but I need to make sure I know the purpose behind my responses and make sure they are focused on answering the question rather than giving background.
In the interview, VoNique was very professional and friendly. She is able to seem comfortable and make the interviewee feel comfortable while remaining extremely professional and poised. I give her a 5/5!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Resumes and Opportunities
I graduate in 9 and a half months. In January, I'll be a real grown-up (hopefully) with a job! In my excitement, I started the job hunt. First, I looked at where I want to go. Then, I looked at the schools in the area to do a bit of research. Lo and behold, there was a job listing for my dream job: Middle School Math Teacher. Now, this job is for next school year (2014-2015) and I won't be able to work until 2015...but it seemed like a good idea to just put out a resume and see what came of it.
Unfortunately, the website wouldn't let you submit a resume unless you have a Bachelor's degree, and I can't lie about these things to my future employers (ok, I'm really crossing my fingers on this one), so I will have to wait and see if they post another job next year.
With this experience, I realized that I need to improve my resume. Resumes are a sneak peak of all the wonderful things you've done in your life. But since it's a sneak peak, you only get one page and about 30 seconds. So how do you fit it all in?
You don't. You have to break it up so it is pleasing to the eyes and the important information stands out. Based on the profession, different things are important. Of course, my education is important, but I can only say so much about a degree in Mathematics Education. "I learned a lot of math and a lot of education..." Not such a great line. Are prior jobs really important? Maybe if they're related to your career, but otherwise they might not need as much space. So there was my quandary: what IS important on a resume to become a teacher?
Story time! Right when I was wondering about all these things, BYU hosted a lovely dinner with a whole bunch of principals. Unfortunately, I had to leave work early and rush over and got to dinner right when the opening speeches were getting started. In fear of embarrassing myself and making a scene, I snuck around to the back and found a table with an open seat. The fates were on my side! I sat right next to a principal of a high school and she had formerly been a principal at a junior high!
When I asked her what things principals look for from the glance of a resume, she gave me two things:
1) She looks at how they did in student teaching (if they're a new teacher), and
2) Their interests.
I hadn't even thought of the importance of interests! It makes sense. Some professions may not value this, but in a school, she expressed how they look for people that are able to do more things than "just" teach. Obviously, it is most important to be an effective teacher, but it is also good to see who could coach a sports team, or be the head of a club?
She even told me I could list things I'd done in High School! While I generally consider myself fairly boring, I realized I have so many interests! I love Cross Country, Track and Gymnastics. I play the cello. I did Math Team (and even spent my summers at Math Team practices and traveling to a National competition). Do I want to be a coach? I'd love to! Let me coach sports! Let me start a Math Team and coach that! I'd love to do more! And since I want to do more, my resume should reflect that.
I want to be the best teacher I can be and I want to contribute as much as I can to the school and community. The hard part: packing all this in to the resume. The easy part: loving what I do and being excited for who I'll become and help students to become.
Unfortunately, the website wouldn't let you submit a resume unless you have a Bachelor's degree, and I can't lie about these things to my future employers (ok, I'm really crossing my fingers on this one), so I will have to wait and see if they post another job next year.
With this experience, I realized that I need to improve my resume. Resumes are a sneak peak of all the wonderful things you've done in your life. But since it's a sneak peak, you only get one page and about 30 seconds. So how do you fit it all in?
You don't. You have to break it up so it is pleasing to the eyes and the important information stands out. Based on the profession, different things are important. Of course, my education is important, but I can only say so much about a degree in Mathematics Education. "I learned a lot of math and a lot of education..." Not such a great line. Are prior jobs really important? Maybe if they're related to your career, but otherwise they might not need as much space. So there was my quandary: what IS important on a resume to become a teacher?
Story time! Right when I was wondering about all these things, BYU hosted a lovely dinner with a whole bunch of principals. Unfortunately, I had to leave work early and rush over and got to dinner right when the opening speeches were getting started. In fear of embarrassing myself and making a scene, I snuck around to the back and found a table with an open seat. The fates were on my side! I sat right next to a principal of a high school and she had formerly been a principal at a junior high!
When I asked her what things principals look for from the glance of a resume, she gave me two things:
1) She looks at how they did in student teaching (if they're a new teacher), and
2) Their interests.
I hadn't even thought of the importance of interests! It makes sense. Some professions may not value this, but in a school, she expressed how they look for people that are able to do more things than "just" teach. Obviously, it is most important to be an effective teacher, but it is also good to see who could coach a sports team, or be the head of a club?
She even told me I could list things I'd done in High School! While I generally consider myself fairly boring, I realized I have so many interests! I love Cross Country, Track and Gymnastics. I play the cello. I did Math Team (and even spent my summers at Math Team practices and traveling to a National competition). Do I want to be a coach? I'd love to! Let me coach sports! Let me start a Math Team and coach that! I'd love to do more! And since I want to do more, my resume should reflect that.
I want to be the best teacher I can be and I want to contribute as much as I can to the school and community. The hard part: packing all this in to the resume. The easy part: loving what I do and being excited for who I'll become and help students to become.
Interviewing Skills
This week, I have gotten extremely excited about my opportunity to become a teacher. My fear has been that I have not sought enough jobs that are "related" to my career. However, as I get closer and closer to teaching, I know that I have been preparing for this for a long time and everything I do shows me that this is what I want.
Ok, so I know I already said that I only really have one fear, but let's be really honest for a minute: I have a lot of fears about teaching. What if I can't figure out how to articulate my thoughts in front of a classroom? What if I'm too mean? What if I'm too nice? What if I spend all day, every day at the school and never see the sunlight and turn into a crazy person?
But here's the kicker: What if I can't even get a job because my resume and interview don't sell my passion for math, teaching, and helping students?
Thankfully, we practiced interviewing in class this week. It was definitely an eye-opening experience. I've learned that I am extremely passionate about teaching. I mean, I already knew it, but I'm fairly confident (now) that my passion does come across when I talk about it. I've learned that I can tie my work experiences into my career as a teacher and that they have helped lead me to this goal. I've learned that ,more than anything, I want to be an influence for good in the lives of children.
Yes. I've learned a lot of good things about myself this week. But I've also learned some things I can definitely improve upon. I am a rambler. You can probably tell from this blog post. Thoughts pop in my head and come out my mouth, and not usually in a highly-organized fashion. When I get nervous, I ramble more. NEWS FLASH! That's not a good thing in an interview! Chances are, I'll be nervous! Because of this, I need to go through my experiences and really think about how I can talk about my experiences and what points from them are most important in an interview. I need to learn how to organize my thoughts and express myself concisely.
Another (actually, sort of related) improvement is learning how to finish and conclude my thoughts and responses. Half of the reason I ramble is because I do not know how to stop talking. Because I don't know how to stop, I just keep going until I realize I am rambling, then I stop and look down awkwardly.
To improve, I have found that I need to think about interviews ahead of time and practice my responses. I need to speak with confidence and end with confidence.
Another thing about interviews? Ask questions! I found this great guide to good interview questions.
Ok, so I know I already said that I only really have one fear, but let's be really honest for a minute: I have a lot of fears about teaching. What if I can't figure out how to articulate my thoughts in front of a classroom? What if I'm too mean? What if I'm too nice? What if I spend all day, every day at the school and never see the sunlight and turn into a crazy person?
But here's the kicker: What if I can't even get a job because my resume and interview don't sell my passion for math, teaching, and helping students?
Thankfully, we practiced interviewing in class this week. It was definitely an eye-opening experience. I've learned that I am extremely passionate about teaching. I mean, I already knew it, but I'm fairly confident (now) that my passion does come across when I talk about it. I've learned that I can tie my work experiences into my career as a teacher and that they have helped lead me to this goal. I've learned that ,more than anything, I want to be an influence for good in the lives of children.
Yes. I've learned a lot of good things about myself this week. But I've also learned some things I can definitely improve upon. I am a rambler. You can probably tell from this blog post. Thoughts pop in my head and come out my mouth, and not usually in a highly-organized fashion. When I get nervous, I ramble more. NEWS FLASH! That's not a good thing in an interview! Chances are, I'll be nervous! Because of this, I need to go through my experiences and really think about how I can talk about my experiences and what points from them are most important in an interview. I need to learn how to organize my thoughts and express myself concisely.
Another (actually, sort of related) improvement is learning how to finish and conclude my thoughts and responses. Half of the reason I ramble is because I do not know how to stop talking. Because I don't know how to stop, I just keep going until I realize I am rambling, then I stop and look down awkwardly.
To improve, I have found that I need to think about interviews ahead of time and practice my responses. I need to speak with confidence and end with confidence.
Another thing about interviews? Ask questions! I found this great guide to good interview questions.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Bahamas Pajamas
"Today at school, I was talking to Scott Novotney..."
"Snott Ne-KNOT-knee?!?"
This was a common dinner conversation at my house growing up. My brother would start to tell us about his day and my dad would quickly interrupt, mis-pronouncing anything my brother had not spoken clearly enough for him. Whether my dad was trying to teach us a lesson on pronunciation, trying to be funny or has a hearing problem we should get checked, I'll never know. What I do know is that speaking clearly and listening intently can help solve communication problems.
As the years have gone by, I have often wondered, "What is the difference between 'pronunciation' and 'enunciation?'"
To pronounce is to say a word (or sentence, or speech, or anything) correctly.
To enunciate it to say a word (or sentence, or speech or anything) clearly.
I submit, it is probably difficult to have one and not the other, but speaking in soft or mumbled voice could lead to unclear enunciation. Today when my cousin said "supposably," that was incorrect pronunciation of "supposedly."
So what does any of this have to do with anything?
In presenting, it is important to clearly convey your message. Speech is clearly an important thing. We need to say each word deliberately and with purpose. If you can't pronounce it, don't say it. People respect you more if you act and speak professionally and that includes being able to say words the right way.
Robots can say words properly, but that doesn't mean anyone wants to listen to them for more than a few seconds. In speaking, it is good to vary the speed and volume of your speech. It makes it more interesting AND it emphasizes important points.
A new goal of mine is to pronounce my words and speak with proper emphasis on specific points.
And as a final treat in this post, here is a lovely song that captures the games my dad plays at home, especially at the dinner table. The role of the birds in the song is similar to his role in the game.
"Snott Ne-KNOT-knee?!?"
This was a common dinner conversation at my house growing up. My brother would start to tell us about his day and my dad would quickly interrupt, mis-pronouncing anything my brother had not spoken clearly enough for him. Whether my dad was trying to teach us a lesson on pronunciation, trying to be funny or has a hearing problem we should get checked, I'll never know. What I do know is that speaking clearly and listening intently can help solve communication problems.
As the years have gone by, I have often wondered, "What is the difference between 'pronunciation' and 'enunciation?'"
To pronounce is to say a word (or sentence, or speech, or anything) correctly.
To enunciate it to say a word (or sentence, or speech or anything) clearly.
I submit, it is probably difficult to have one and not the other, but speaking in soft or mumbled voice could lead to unclear enunciation. Today when my cousin said "supposably," that was incorrect pronunciation of "supposedly."
So what does any of this have to do with anything?
In presenting, it is important to clearly convey your message. Speech is clearly an important thing. We need to say each word deliberately and with purpose. If you can't pronounce it, don't say it. People respect you more if you act and speak professionally and that includes being able to say words the right way.
Robots can say words properly, but that doesn't mean anyone wants to listen to them for more than a few seconds. In speaking, it is good to vary the speed and volume of your speech. It makes it more interesting AND it emphasizes important points.
A new goal of mine is to pronounce my words and speak with proper emphasis on specific points.
And as a final treat in this post, here is a lovely song that captures the games my dad plays at home, especially at the dinner table. The role of the birds in the song is similar to his role in the game.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Grammar Rules!
Yes, good grammar rules the world. Being able write and speak using grammar well gives a person credibility. The inability to use proper grammar is a severe handicap in the professional world. Without grammar, it can be difficult to communicate. Grammar includes punctuation and spelling, but it extends to much more than these simple rules.
I have learned that grammar can extend to style and how to use subjects, verbs and objects in sentences to properly convey messages. The subject should be easily identifiable in a sentence and should generally be found at the beginning. For bad news, it is more desirable to focus on the object. Messages are easier to comprehend when we obey grammar rules.
I rarely consider the importance of modifiers. However, having a dangling or misplaced modifier can completely change the meaning of a sentence and lead to confusion. See the example of this street sign:
This sign could have two meanings: either you should be cautious because pedestrians are slippery when they are wet or pedestrians should be cautious because the area is slippery when it is wet. While we may all recognize that the second meaning is probably the intended message from this sign, this meaning is not clear.
Every profession requires proper grammar. As I become a teacher, it is important for me to teach my students correct grammar and for me to create a professional image to other professionals and parents. Thus, it is important to learn and follow correct grammar.
Correct pronunciation and enunciation are also important. I will leave this post with one more illustration of this significance:
I have learned that grammar can extend to style and how to use subjects, verbs and objects in sentences to properly convey messages. The subject should be easily identifiable in a sentence and should generally be found at the beginning. For bad news, it is more desirable to focus on the object. Messages are easier to comprehend when we obey grammar rules.
I rarely consider the importance of modifiers. However, having a dangling or misplaced modifier can completely change the meaning of a sentence and lead to confusion. See the example of this street sign:
This sign could have two meanings: either you should be cautious because pedestrians are slippery when they are wet or pedestrians should be cautious because the area is slippery when it is wet. While we may all recognize that the second meaning is probably the intended message from this sign, this meaning is not clear.
Every profession requires proper grammar. As I become a teacher, it is important for me to teach my students correct grammar and for me to create a professional image to other professionals and parents. Thus, it is important to learn and follow correct grammar.
Correct pronunciation and enunciation are also important. I will leave this post with one more illustration of this significance:
Saturday, January 25, 2014
People Matter
In Matthew 22, a man asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy should and with all thy mind." He went on to say, "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"(Matthew 22:37, 39).
What it all boils down to is charity. Networking is about making people come first and building relationships. When meeting people, it is less important to try and find how they can help you and more important to look for ways to help them.
I have found that, while it is easier to stay introverted and not talk to people, it is immensely more gratifying to get to know people. Every time I make an effort to know a person, I realize how much happier I am for doing so. Also, it can prove beneficial to know people for networking purposes. Thus far, every job I've had is the result of knowing people. However, I have finally had the experience of helping someone else get a job and it brings so much more joy.
The important thing in business, networking and life is to put people first. Increasing your circle of influence allows you to meet people and learn from them while looking for ways to help them. This is what brings happiness and joy and was taught by the example of the Savior.
What it all boils down to is charity. Networking is about making people come first and building relationships. When meeting people, it is less important to try and find how they can help you and more important to look for ways to help them.
I have found that, while it is easier to stay introverted and not talk to people, it is immensely more gratifying to get to know people. Every time I make an effort to know a person, I realize how much happier I am for doing so. Also, it can prove beneficial to know people for networking purposes. Thus far, every job I've had is the result of knowing people. However, I have finally had the experience of helping someone else get a job and it brings so much more joy.
The important thing in business, networking and life is to put people first. Increasing your circle of influence allows you to meet people and learn from them while looking for ways to help them. This is what brings happiness and joy and was taught by the example of the Savior.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Write This Down
This week, we wrote down three questions and asked them of our classmates. As assigned, we were to write down the answers people gave to our questions. There were two purposes in writing down the answers.
First, writing things down helps you pay attention and helps the person speaking to you understand that you value the things they tell you. Simple eye-contact or nodding can show some listening, but actually writing it down shows the speaker you want to remember and apply their words of wisdom.
Second, writing things down helps you remember them. The brain power it takes to transfer thoughts and oral language into written words helps synthesize information. Thus, even without reviewing the notes, it aids in memory. Having a written record also allows you to go back and review notes you've taken.
Because of the benefit of writing things down, I am glad we took the time in-class to do this activity. I have now learned improved methods of reading a textbook, planning a dinner and proper use of dashes in sentences.
In the wise words of George Strait:
"Baby, write this down, take a little note to remind you in case you didn't know,
Tell yourself I love you and I don't want you to go, write this down.
Take my words, ready 'em every day, keep 'em close by, don't you let 'em fade away,
So you'll remember what I forgot to say, write this down."
A picture of George Strait, for your viewing pleasure:
First, writing things down helps you pay attention and helps the person speaking to you understand that you value the things they tell you. Simple eye-contact or nodding can show some listening, but actually writing it down shows the speaker you want to remember and apply their words of wisdom.
Second, writing things down helps you remember them. The brain power it takes to transfer thoughts and oral language into written words helps synthesize information. Thus, even without reviewing the notes, it aids in memory. Having a written record also allows you to go back and review notes you've taken.
Because of the benefit of writing things down, I am glad we took the time in-class to do this activity. I have now learned improved methods of reading a textbook, planning a dinner and proper use of dashes in sentences.
In the wise words of George Strait:
"Baby, write this down, take a little note to remind you in case you didn't know,
Tell yourself I love you and I don't want you to go, write this down.
Take my words, ready 'em every day, keep 'em close by, don't you let 'em fade away,
So you'll remember what I forgot to say, write this down."
A picture of George Strait, for your viewing pleasure:
Friday, January 10, 2014
Obtaining Knowledge
According to the well-trusted site of Wikipedia, learning is "acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information."
Merriam-Webster defines knowledge as "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association."
It is not enough to simply "learn" by listening to a lecture or contemplating facts and truth. In order to truly learn something and consider it to be knowledge, it has to be applied. For example, if I say that know it is good to wear a seat belt in a car, but then never buckle-up when I actually ride in a car, then I only believe this fact is true. Truth is not learned until it is applied. Thus, true learning causes us to do the things we have learned.
I am going to be a Math Teacher in just about a year and I hope to apply this principle to my own teaching. Memorizing formulas and crunching numbers is not truly learning mathematics. By having my students apply their understanding to different circumstances and the "real world," it forces them to gain real understanding because they performed and action rather than just passively absorbing information, which would certainly be squeezed out of them during the next 3-day weekend.
Any time we learn something new, we need to understand its significance and then do something about it.
Christ asks the same of us. When a woman taken in adultery was brought to Christ, he forgave her of her sins. He then said, "Go, and sin no more." It was important that she goes forward, acting on this forgiveness of sins. If she were to go and continue to sin, then she would not have truly learned of repentance and forgiveness. But by applying the atonement and repenting by sinning "no more," the woman is able to gain knowledge of the goodness and grace of God as well as the wrongness of her prior sins through her actions.
We acquire knowledge by applying learning to our actions. In order to do this, we need to decide why new knowledge is significant and then make a plan of how we will apply that knowledge in our life.
Merriam-Webster defines knowledge as "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association."
It is not enough to simply "learn" by listening to a lecture or contemplating facts and truth. In order to truly learn something and consider it to be knowledge, it has to be applied. For example, if I say that know it is good to wear a seat belt in a car, but then never buckle-up when I actually ride in a car, then I only believe this fact is true. Truth is not learned until it is applied. Thus, true learning causes us to do the things we have learned.
I am going to be a Math Teacher in just about a year and I hope to apply this principle to my own teaching. Memorizing formulas and crunching numbers is not truly learning mathematics. By having my students apply their understanding to different circumstances and the "real world," it forces them to gain real understanding because they performed and action rather than just passively absorbing information, which would certainly be squeezed out of them during the next 3-day weekend.
Any time we learn something new, we need to understand its significance and then do something about it.
Christ asks the same of us. When a woman taken in adultery was brought to Christ, he forgave her of her sins. He then said, "Go, and sin no more." It was important that she goes forward, acting on this forgiveness of sins. If she were to go and continue to sin, then she would not have truly learned of repentance and forgiveness. But by applying the atonement and repenting by sinning "no more," the woman is able to gain knowledge of the goodness and grace of God as well as the wrongness of her prior sins through her actions.
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